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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298421">Shared Warmth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/derryday/pseuds/derryday'>derryday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Minor Injuries, Missing Scene, Not Beta Read, Prompt Fill, mentions of amnesia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:08:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,778</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/derryday/pseuds/derryday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lord Kuro was glaring at him.</p>
<p>Wolf shifted uneasily where he knelt by the shoji. Lady Emma's light threw shifting shadows through the thin rice paper; she'd withdrawn into the small library with an apologetic smile, citing a need to occupy her mind for a while before she retired for the night.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kuro | The Divine Heir &amp; Sekiro | Wolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shared Warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/voids/gifts">voids</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This happens just after Wolf's fight with Genichiro atop Ashina castle, in a kind of AU where 1) Kuro and Emma were present for the battle &amp; 2) a night passed before Kuro asked Wolf to sever the ties of immortality. This is that night.</p>
<p>I posted that <a href="https://twitter.com/derry_day/status/1237081768815140865">one-word prompt meme</a> on Twitter &amp; the lovely <a href="https://twitter.com/daudsbreeches">Cris</a> asked for "Wolf &amp; Kuro, blanket". This is... decidedly longer than a drabble, but I think the world is sorely in need of soft things right now, so I made no effort to curb my self-indulgence.</p>
<p>Thank you for sending me a prompt, and I hope you enjoy! ♥</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lord Kuro was glaring at him.</p>
<p>Wolf shifted uneasily where he knelt by the shoji. Lady Emma's light threw shifting shadows through the thin rice paper; she'd withdrawn into the small library with an apologetic smile, citing a need to occupy her mind for a while before she retired for the night.</p>
<p>The fight had left her shaken and pale. She was far from squeamish, but her face when Lord Genichiro had risen red-eyed and growling had been carved from marble, blank and remote. She'd stirred only when Lord Kuro had squeezed his way out from behind her sleeve. She'd snatched his arm to stop him from running across the snow-wet roof to Wolf.</p>
<p>Even exhausted and trembling, Wolf had felt a rush of relief. Kuro's feet were bare, and Wolf did not want him to slip on the spatters of blood that smeared the wooden floor.</p>
<p>Kuro had hardly taken his eyes off Wolf when Lady Emma had bandaged his injuries. He'd stared at Emma's nimble fingers, the neat sutures she made, and the greasy balms she dabbed onto Wolf's skin...</p>
<p>Wolf had taken several small breaths to speak, but subsided every time; he did not know how to ask Lord Kuro to look away from his wounds.</p>
<p>By the time Wolf's nose stung from the sharp smell of Emma's ointments, her expression had thawed a little. Some color returned to her cheeks. Her mouth remained tight, though, her lips pinched with something like grief.</p>
<p>Although the younger Lord Ashina's fate was unknown, Wolf had had to bite back the urge to express his condolences to her. Even if it had been his right to try to comfort her, he would not have known how.</p>
<p>A fine shinobi he was, unskilled as ever in the wielding of words. He could only hope that his swordsmanship made up for some of his deficits.</p>
<p>In the library, Lady Emma's light wandered. Wolf's shadow moved across the floor, looming strangely over Lord Kuro's pile of blankets. </p>
<p>Emma had asked him if he wanted a candle for company as he slept. Kuro had given her a withering look that was quite unlike his usual mild-mannered courtesy--but he'd had a long day, so the small lapse could be excused. Now, the only light came from outside the little antechamber.</p>
<p>Lord Kuro let out an aggravated sigh. His heap of blankets rustled when he shifted slightly. He scowled at Wolf some more, his dark eyes glinting. </p>
<p>... It had taken Wolf too long to find him. That was the only reason for Kuro's ire that he could think of.</p>
<p>He still did not know how long he'd lain in the Sculptor's temple, unconscious from blood loss as the man had grafted the prosthetic onto his stump. He'd fought his way through Ashina's soldiers with all haste, sparing barely a thought to the sore, slowly healing pain of his severed arm... </p>
<p>It'd been a frantic, hasty trek through the snowed-in lands. Wolf had barely paused to rest or sleep, only stopping at the Sculptor's Idols to refill the medicinal waters of his healing gourd.</p>
<p>Now, though, doubt gnawed at him. Surely there was some way he could've been faster. If only it had not taken him so long to defeat Gyoubu Oniwa... </p>
<p>The horseman had given him more trouble than Wolf had anticipated. For a while he'd been scrambling, gasping painfully as each deflected blow from the mounted warrior's spear shuddered through his bones, just barely dodging the horse's whirling hooves.</p>
<p>If he'd mowed down Gyoubu Oniwa more efficiently, he would have reached the castle sooner. Maybe he could have spared Lord Kuro some of the hardships he'd endured.</p>
<p>Wolf bowed his head. Regret sat heavy as a stone in his chest. It was no use dwelling on whether a faster, stronger version of himself would also have incurred Kuro's anger. All he could do now was try to bear his master's displeasure with dignity.</p>
<p>At the very least, he wished he had not angered Kuro enough to keep him from sleep. The boy had marched into the antechamber with his head held high, but there was no mistaking the dark, swollen shadows under his eyes for anything but exhaustion.</p>
<p>His stomach churned uneasily. He held back a nervous sigh and fixed his gaze on the wrist of his mechanical arm...</p>
<p>The prosthetic had startled Kuro, at first. He'd hovered beside Wolf, his eyes wide and wary, as Lady Emma put away her medicine.</p>
<p>"What about your arm?" he'd asked Wolf, his little fingers hovering anxiously just above the  grey, whittled bone of Wolf's wrist.</p>
<p>Wolf opened his mouth, but Kuro looked over at Emma, who rinsed her hands in a bowl of water. "What about his <i>arm?"</i> he repeated, accusing, like she'd forgotten about it.</p>
<p>"It is unhurt, my lord," Wolf said. He surreptitiously tucked the prosthetic closer to his belly. The hook was sharp, and he did not want Kuro's pale hands anywhere near it.</p>
<p>"There is no need to worry, my lord," Emma said, giving them both a brittle smile. "It is merely a mechanical replacement for his lost limb." She hesitated, then added, "A friend made it."</p>
<p>"A... friend," Kuro repeated, his eyes narrowing. "And who might that be?"</p>
<p>A worried crease appeared between Lady Emma's eyebrows. "Forgive me, my lord," she said, and bowed deeply, her sleeves brushing the floor and her hair drooping forward over her shoulder. "I would prefer not to reveal his name for the moment."</p>
<p>Lord Kuro paused, then let out a sharp sigh. "Alright," he said shortly, clearly dissatisfied, but too tired to probe further.</p>
<p>The glaring had started after Emma left. At first Wolf had thought Lord Kuro was dozing, slowly sliding into some well-deserved sleep after his ordeal. It was only when he'd seen the furrow in the boy's brow that he realized his error. His master was wide awake, and he was angry.</p>
<p>Words bubbled up in Wolf's throat, unsaid and pointless. He could not atone for his failure in the field of swaying, silvery grass. The loss of his arm had dishonored him as surely as if he had stood by and done nothing as Lord Genichiro abducted his master. He'd been thoroughly useless.</p>
<p>Nor could he apologize for how long it'd taken him to traverse the castle grounds. He should have been quicker, deadlier. His fear for Kuro's safety had clouded his judgment and blunted his skill. Some of the stairs he'd had to crawl up, gasping against the pain of bruised ribs.</p>
<p>Maybe if he'd used the healing gourd more-- but he'd wanted to use it sparingly, unsure when he would reach the next Sculptor's Idol... he'd taken only small sips at a time, enough to superficially seal the worst of his wounds. If he'd relied on its medicinal waters more, perhaps he would have been quicker...</p>
<p>Kuro rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Then he sat up.</p>
<p>In his nest of blankets, he looked small and disheveled. The lighter strands of his hair hung onto his cheeks, catching on his eyelashes when he blinked. He wiped them out of his face impatiently, then stared at Wolf some more, his gaze sharp and piercing.</p>
<p>He'd taken off his kimono to sleep. It lay folded neatly beside the makeshift bed they'd made. The embroidery shimmered in the low light. Without the expensive, exquisitely made fabric, Kuro looked smaller somehow, younger.</p>
<p>"Wolf," he said at last, unhappily.</p>
<p>Wolf bowed his head. "My lord," he replied, though his heart sank.</p>
<p>If Lord Kuro wished to reprimand him for his many failures, that was his right. Wolf would weather his anger as well as he knew how. It was the least he could do. He clenched his jaw and tried to brace himself for a storm of accusations, for Kuro's dark eyes to become thin, glittering slits of rage and betrayal.</p>
<p>What Kuro said, though, after another lengthy silence, was, "It is almost winter."</p>
<p>Wolf shot him a surprised look. Whatever he had expected his master to say, it was not that.</p>
<p>Another pause stretched uneasily between them. Kuro's mouth was pressed into a thin, impatient line.</p>
<p>"It is, my lord," Wolf said at last, cautiously. He hadn't the faintest inkling what Kuro wanted to hear.</p>
<p>Somehow, it seemed to have been the right thing: Kuro relaxed a little. He stood up, peeling himself out of his nest. The blankets fell back, and he winced a little when he set his feet on the floor. Wolf almost flinched along with him. The wood had to feel brutally cold to his bare soles.</p>
<p>"It snowed earlier," Kuro ventured. He came towards Wolf, walking slowly.</p>
<p>"Yes, my lord."</p>
<p>Kuro's dark eyes narrowed. With the certainty of one moving to deliver a fatal blow, he asked, almost harshly, "Aren't you <i>cold?"</i></p>
<p>Wolf hesitated. The wooden floor was chilly, yes, and while the outer room had a hearth to warm it, there was no fire in their little antechamber. It was not the warmest he'd ever been, but he did not yet feel the need to shiver. </p>
<p>He could endure the chill, so long as it allowed him to watch over his master's sleep. He said, "No, my lord."</p>
<p>Lord Kuro hissed in a small, shaky breath through his teeth. For a moment his brow wrinkled, his mouth trembling and twisting with despair. He bit down on his lip and hunched his shoulders, fighting for composure.</p>
<p>Wolf stared at him, struck speechless. That fleeting expression was one of pain and fear, unsuited to the quiet room and the unobtrusive howl of the wind outside. </p>
<p>"Your--" Kuro cleared his throat, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Your healing gourd is still half-full."</p>
<p>Abruptly, Wolf realized that his knees ached--he'd sat up and was close to rising, his flesh hand half outstretched.</p>
<p>He lowered himself back to kneeling. He let his hand sink back into his lap. "Yes, my lord," he said haltingly. </p>
<p>He kept a close eye on his master, who now stood before him, only an arm's length away. Kuro's fingers fidgeted with the trailing ends of his sleeves, plucking restlessly at some loose threads. The shadows under his eyes were puffy and dark.</p>
<p>"Why won't you drink from it?" Kuro asked. "It would heal you."</p>
<p>Wolf shifted uneasily. He would not lie to his master, but he didn't want to frighten him either; it was enough that one of them felt wary of hidden dangers that might still lurk in the castle. </p>
<p>"I would prefer to save what's left, my lord," he said at last. "The night will be long."</p>
<p>"You could refill it," Kuro offered. His eyes were piercing, flickering across Wolf's face like he was looking for something very specific.</p>
<p>Wolf shook his head. "I will not leave you."</p>
<p>Kuro reached out a hand to him. Wolf held still, and Kuro's fingers hovered by his right temple, almost brushing his hairline, but he didn't touch.</p>
<p>Wolf could feel the meager warmth that radiated off his slender hand. He glanced down at Kuro's bare feet; he wished his master would dive back under the blankets. He might catch a chill like this... who knew how far Lord Genichiro had led him through the half-frozen castle grounds in only his kimono... he'd probably spent hours in the cold...</p>
<p>Kuro's next exhale shook. He stared at Wolf's temple, almost frightened. </p>
<p>"It is spreading," he whispered, and touched his fingertips briefly to Wolf's forehead. "Even your hair is turning white..."</p>
<p>"My lord?" Wolf said. He recalled the production Lady Emma had made of his... birthmark, or whatever it was, though he had not quite understood it at the time.</p>
<p>"Perhaps it is my gift," Kuro said, more to himself than to Wolf. He let out a small, mirthless laugh. "My <i>curse..."</i> </p>
<p>An uneasy wave of concern washed down Wolf's back. "Lord Kuro--" he began.</p>
<p>Kuro took a stumbling step away from him. The trembling frown was back, that terrible, desolate look that pulled painfully at something in Wolf's chest. He stared at Wolf like he'd never seen him before, his dark eyes haunted and frantic.</p>
<p>"I've doomed you," he whispered. His eyelashes were damp. "Already, you no longer feel the cold, or pain..."</p>
<p>Wolf wet his lips. His thoughts whirled, much like the wind-tossed snowflakes outside. He groped for words, inexpertly struggling to come up with something reassuring, anything that would wipe that stricken, despairing look off his master's face...</p>
<p>Finally, he blurted out, "I-- I am a little bit cold, my lord."</p>
<p>Kuro opened, then closed his mouth. Something like hope flashed across his face, then he gave Wolf a suspicious look out of watery eyes. "You're just saying that to placate me."</p>
<p>"No, my lord," Wolf said. The clenched fist inside his chest loosened, and he almost smiled in relief, because he was not lying--his feet were cold, the chill from the floor had crept into his knees, and he could feel a shiver coming. "I do feel a chill now."</p>
<p>Kuro gnawed on his lip again, his fingers clenching in his sleeves. He did not seem to be breathing at all. Wolf could not recall the last time he'd seen him look this young. </p>
<p>"Are you certain?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Wolf said decisively. "The floor is quite cold."</p>
<p>Relief slackened Lord Kuro's features. His frown smoothed out, and for a moment he closed his eyes, releasing a shuddering sigh.</p>
<p>"Wait-- here," he said, and dashed over to his bedding. His bare feet moved near-soundlessly across the floor.</p>
<p>He pulled a large blanket from the heap. It was dark green and somewhat dusty, and Kuro shook it out twice, surveying it critically. The fabric seemed to have been woven from wool and looked warm and cozy.</p>
<p>Lord Kuro nodded to himself, then brought the blanket over to Wolf.</p>
<p>"But, my lord--" Wolf began, instantly disquieted.</p>
<p>"Hush," Kuro said firmly. The flame of his spirit no longer guttered fearfully. It shone bright and fierce again, banishing the strange terror that'd gripped him just a moment ago. "There are enough blankets for both of us."</p>
<p>Wolf spotted a familiar blue edge peeking out from the nest Lady Emma had made for Kuro--the thickest blanket of them all, layers of fabric stitched together and embroidered all over with blue thread.</p>
<p>He took the blanket Kuro held out to him with a murmur of thanks. So long as Kuro still had the thickest, warmest one, he would accept his master's selfless offer.</p>
<p>"Now," Kuro said, authority back in his voice. It did Wolf good to hear it. Gone was the defeated hunch to his shoulders, and his dark eyes shone with determination. "Will you drink from the gourd?"</p>
<p>Wolf suppressed a wince and nodded. It was not like he hadn't seen that coming. "If it pleases you, my lord."</p>
<p>Kuro's sharp eyes caught his reluctance. "You've killed many on your way here," he pointed out. "Surely the danger is passed."</p>
<p>"There may yet be some vengeful stragglers I have missed, my lord."</p>
<p>Kuro scoffed a little. "You are my shinobi," he said. "You do not <i>miss</i> things."</p>
<p>A small ember began to glow in Wolf's chest. It warmed him more than the blanket would, and he bowed deeply. "Your faith honors me, my lord."</p>
<p>He lifted the gourd and drank, tipping it just far enough to fill his mouth. The seeds rolled and clattered inside. The water tasted metallic and sharp, infused with herbs and tinctures he couldn't name.</p>
<p>The single mouthful settled hot and welcome in his belly. A shiver ran down his back. He felt some bruising on his ribs recede, a peculiar prickling sensation skittering through the abused tissue, like hundreds of tiny ants marching determinedly to fix the damage.</p>
<p>His wounds sealed over with new skin that pulled at Lady Emma's neat stitches. It felt tight and a little too thin. An invigorating rush of energy shot all the way into his fingers and toes, like the medicine had replenished the blood he'd lost on the snowy terrace.</p>
<p>Wolf lowered the gourd, testing its weight in his hands. By his estimation, enough was left that the remaining water would see him through the night even if a number of enraged, vengeful soldiers managed to storm the castle.</p>
<p>He sucked in a deep breath, the first full lungful of air he'd taken since he had crossed blades with Lord Genichiro. He hadn't quite noticed the burrowing pain of his injuries until it faded. Under the bandages, his skin itched as it healed around the stitches.</p>
<p>Lord Kuro looked him over, his dark eyes lingering on Wolf's improved posture and straight back. Wolf bore the scrutiny without comment.</p>
<p>"Good," Kuro said at last, in a great outrush of breath. </p>
<p>Wolf held back a sigh of relief himself; he'd feared for a moment that his master, dissatisfied with his healing, would order him to drink the remainder of the water as well. He fastened the gourd back onto his belt, reassured by the weight he felt sloshing inside.</p>
<p>He risked a glance at Lord Kuro. The lighter strands of his hair hung into his face, his bangs tangled and stringy. He'd put one foot over the other, covering the curled toes of his right foot in defense against the cold. It was a rare, childlike gesture, at odds with the quiet dignity that Kuro usually carried.</p>
<p>"My lord," Wolf said, bowing his head. "It is late, and your day has been arduous..."</p>
<p>Kuro smiled a little. He brushed his hair back, leaving it to stick up every which way, and went back to his blankets. "In some ways, Wolf," he said over his shoulder, "you are entirely predictable."</p>
<p>It was clearly not an admonishment. Kuro's voice was warm. Wolf blinked at his master as he burrowed back into his nest, flinching as he stuck his chilled feet between the blankets. </p>
<p>He was not sure whether to apologize or thank him, and in the end did neither, watching carefully as Lord Kuro pulled his bedding up over himself.</p>
<p>Kuro shivered, tugging the blankets up to his shoulders. He propped himself up on his elbows and fixed Wolf with a searching look. "I assume that telling you to sleep too would be fruitless."</p>
<p>Wolf cleared his throat. "I would not want to displease my lord," he said carefully.</p>
<p>Kuro waved that away. "It's alright. It is... enough to know you are no longer hurting."</p>
<p>Wolf blinked, somewhat astonished. It was only logical that Kuro felt safer with Wolf now better able to defend him from intruders. But he hadn't quite realized that it had truly pained his master to see him injured...</p>
<p>Then he frowned, scolding himself for his surprise. He might not have been able to remember most of their shared history, but he had learned that Kuro's heart was as compassionate as it was noble, and that he hated seeing anyone suffer. </p>
<p>In the outer chamber, Lady Emma's light moved again. Her candle was likely burning down fast; the light was growing dimmer, more orange. Distantly, Wolf found himself hoping she would rest soon. It couldn't be good for her eyes to peruse those old books by such meager light.</p>
<p>Lord Kuro shifted and rolled over onto his side. He patted down the blankets, arranging the rolled-up fabric under his head so that he could still see Wolf sitting by the shoji.</p>
<p>Then he lay entirely still, breathing softly. Some minutes ticked past. Lady Emma's candle flickered, dipping the room into deeper shadows, and for a moment Wolf thought Kuro had fallen asleep.</p>
<p>Then he spoke, though, in a sudden near-whisper. "You would tell me, wouldn't you?" Kuro asked. "If you... if you began to feel-- <i>cold.</i> Remote. Like-- like only killing matters anymore."</p>
<p>He sounded anxious, urgent. The blankets rustled, and Wolf said quickly, "Yes, my lord," mostly to stop Kuro from getting back up.</p>
<p>He was not entirely sure what he was agreeing to; he had only an inkling of what Kuro spoke of. He'd seen it in the specters left behind from his conversations with Lord Genichiro... but Wolf couldn't imagine ever turning into an unfeeling instrument of death. Not in the way his master's ghostly remnant had insisted the soldiers would.</p>
<p>"Alright," Lord Kuro said. He sighed out a long breath. Then he lay back down, tucking his chin back under the blankets.</p>
<p>Wolf stared at him, a little baffled. He'd expected Kuro to sit up again, fix him with those dark, determined eyes and extract a solemn vow from his shinobi...</p>
<p>But perhaps Kuro knew that a simple agreement from him weighed just as heavily as a formal promise. Wolf was not in the habit of lying, or saying things he did not mean. If asked by his master to keep him apprised of his mental state in the oncoming days, he would do so even without an actual vow binding him.</p>
<p>Kuro curled up a bit tighter on his side and closed his eyes. For a few minutes, each time his breath began to deepen into sleep, he twitched and opened his eyes again, his gaze seeking Wolf's still form.</p>
<p>He seemed to find reassurance in the sight of his shinobi sitting unmoving by the door, ready to defend him. He wormed one hand out from under the blankets to rest it by his head, turning his face into his makeshift pillow. At last he slept.</p>
<p>Wolf listened to his slow exhales. Outside, the wind howled as it buffeted the castle, battering the walls with showers of snow. The thunder had long faded, but the storm that still raged would take a while longer to be pacified.</p>
<p>A muted clatter came from the other room. Lady Emma's light brightened, then steadied. Wolf could hear her rustling around, likely preparing for sleep on the makeshift bedding she'd set up for herself. </p>
<p>Finally, she blew out her candle, plunging the antechamber into darkness. Some wan moonlight trickled in, just enough for Wolf to see by.</p>
<p>Kuro's blanket was warm. Wolf wondered wryly if it wasn't his master's regard that warmed him more than the fabric itself--but his feet did feel less cold, and he had some feeling back in his knees.</p>
<p>He spread the dusty green fabric over his lap, tucking the ends around his back. He propped Kusabimaru up beside him and flexed his flesh wrist, satisfied when the mostly-healed cut on his arm barely twinged at all.</p>
<p>It would be a long night. But he had Lord Kuro's quiet, peaceful breathing for company, and that was enough.</p>
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